Flax Council of Canada seeks new chief
Wayne Thompson moving to WGRF
| 2 min read
By Dave Bedard
(Flax Council of Canada photo)
Canada’s national market development organization for flax and flax products is officially in the market for a chief executive.
The Flax Council of Canada said Tuesday its search for a new president is underway, after Wayne Thompson announced in August he has left the position to become executive director of the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF), effective Dec. 1.
“Over the past two years, it has been a fantastic opportunity to serve the board of directors and be part of the Flax Council of Canada,” Thompson, who previously served a stint as a WGRF program manager, said in a release Tuesday.
Thompson has been president of the national council since 2021, and executive director of the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission (SaskFlax) since 2014. He took the national council through what it described Tuesday as “a transition in membership and direction.”
The Flax Council of Canada, in operation since 1986, shut its Winnipeg head office in 2018. At the time it cited declining flax production and a corresponding decline in levy funding; it also saw the departure of a major funding member, Richardson International, at that time.
On Thompson’s watch, the council said, it has also worked toward “eliminating trade barriers and building strong government relations to benefit the flax industry.”
The national council’s new search for a president also follows SaskFlax’s recent decision to merge its management and office with fellow oilseed development commission SaskCanola in Saskatoon.
After Thompson’s announced departure for the WGRF, SaskFlax and the Flax Council of Canada had jointly put out a call in August for a new chief executive for the two organizations. But that joint position was not filled and the Flax Council is not a party to the new SaskFlax/SaskCanola arrangement.
The national council’s board said Tuesday it will work with Ralph Kikkert of Guelph consultancy Strive on a “thorough search” for its next president “over the next several months.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network
